SHANNON. 



SIIAKDLOW. 





b**a nodi<i navigable to within mile of the town of Boyle. A 

 ^jfr brio* this point stands the town of Carrick-on-Shannon, where 

 qujir-wall and harbour have been formed, and two miles farther 

 occun a email cxjiausiou called t'orry Lough, whence the course of 

 the rirer utolenblj straight and good as far as Jamestown, a distance 

 of two mile*. Hero a weir ha* been formed, and a (hallow circuitous 

 bad b avoided by a canal two mile* in length. On this canal there 

 w a lock 110 feet lung and 30 feet broad. From a mile below thu 

 ~~.l nearly down to Buskey are a aerie* of small lakes surrounded 

 by low hill*, with diversiBed and in some parts well-wooded scenery. 

 k*y them is a regulating weir and lock. Two miles and a half 

 below Koskey the Shannon enters Lough Forbes [Loxiironn], which 

 has an arcrage depth of 7 or 8 feet, and has been cleared of its only 

 obstruction, a shoal of small extent near the centre, where the lake 

 is contracted to a brradth of only 350 yards. The removal of other 

 hoal*, and the construction of a weir and lock at Tarmonborry, 

 where a commodious wharf bus also been formed, complete the upper 

 navigation as far as Richmond Harbour, the grand depot of the Royal 

 Canal Company, near the village of Cloondrah. Between this and 

 Lanesborough, a distance of seven miles, the river is of an average 

 breadth of 250 yards. At Lanesborough the Shannon is crossed by a 

 stone bridge, with a swing-bridge for the passage of vessels. Above 

 an I below the bridge the river has been deepened, and by an improved 

 chauuel the navigation here enters Lough Kee. [Roscosi MOS, County of.] 

 Lough Ree is the second expansion of the Shannon in point of magni- 

 tude, as it is in order, from the mouth ; it extends 16 miles in a north 

 and south direction, and reaches within two miles of Athloue. From 

 Lough Kee to Athlone, where the river was formerly much obstructed 

 by eel-weirs and (hallows, great improvements have been made ; the 

 channel has been deepened, and a regulating weir constructed, with a 

 lock 170 feet long by 40 feet wide. There is also a spacious lauding 

 wharf, and a new bridge has been erected, with a swivel bridge over 

 the line of navigation. Between this place and Lough Derg the river 

 makes two largo bend*, and dividing itself into various branches 

 forms islands, some of which are of considerable size. At Shanuon- 

 1> ridge, a military station 134 miles below Athlone, the river has been 

 deepened, the bridge underpinned and opened by a swivel-bridge, aud 

 an extensive landing wharf has been formed. A little lower the Suck 

 enters the Shannon. In consequence of the recent improvements the 

 waters of the Shannon have here been so much kept within their 

 proper channel, as to relieve nearly 19,000 acres from flooding. The 

 Suck, which forms the division between the counties of Galway and 

 Koscommon, is a very fine river, and appears at its junction scarcely 

 inferior to the Shannon itself, of which it is the largest tributary. It 

 rises near Castlereagh, in the county of lloscommon, and has a 

 circuitous course of about 60 miles, receiving in its passage a number 

 of tributary streams. The Shannon receives at Shannon Harbour the 

 Brosna from King's County, nnd the Grand Canal from Dublin. 

 Immediately opposite is a branch of the canal, which runs up to 

 liallinasloe. About five miles lower, above the falls of Meelick and 

 Killogues, which are the greatest in the whole line above Killaloe, a 

 regulating weir, with a lock 170 feet long by 40 feet wide, and having 

 a fall of 8 feet, has been erected. From below the falls, where it is 

 joined by the Lower Brosna, the river affords a wide channel, generally 

 above 20 feet deep, and marked out by beacons, to the entrance of 

 Lough Derg, a distance of nine miles. The shores between Loughs 

 Ree and Derg are low, consisting of lands of a rich calcareous nature, 

 producing large crops of rank coarse grass, and affording pasturage 

 for cattle. These rich landsare generally backed by bog-land elevated 

 from 20 to 30 feet above the river, and towards Athlone by low 

 rounded isolated limestone hills. There are few places where good 

 firm land cornea down to the river's edge. About a mile below 

 I'oi tumna the river enters Lough Derg, which is 20 miles in length, 

 and varies in breadth from three-quarters of a mile to three miles 

 direct distance, with large bays on both sides, which in some places 

 cause an expanse of seven or eight miles. The scenery of this lake 

 is Tery beautiful, especially towards the southern extremity, where it 

 lies between hills of considerable elevation terminating abruptly on 

 the lake. All the north-western shore, which forms part of the county 

 of Galway, is low and abounds in bog-land. The Tipperary shore, 

 which forms all the eastern side of the Like, is greatly diversified in 

 appearance and character ; to the north it consists of rounded lime- 

 stuue-hills, which are chiefly used for pasture, while to the south the 

 mountains are higher, more abrupt, and consist of slate formation, 

 which U worked to great advantage. The opposite shore, part of the 

 county of Clare, in of like formation. Lough Derg contains few 

 islands, but it abounds in rocks and dangerous shoals, and the shores, 

 like those of Lough Kee, are difficult of approach from being so 

 shallow and stony. The greatest depth is 120 feet; the southern 

 portion is generally much deeper than that to the northward. The 

 bottom is of marl, which is dredged up in great quantities for manure. 

 At Mount Shannon, on the western shore of the lough, a pier and 

 wharf have been constructed for the accommodation of the steamers 

 plying on the river. At Killaloe, about a mile below Lough Derg, 

 the channel has been deepened, and a regulating weir, 1160 feet long, 

 ha* been raued across the river. From this place to Turmoubarry 

 at the entrance of the Royal Canal, a distance of 85 miles, steamers 

 of 200-hone power are daily plying, and the lakes are traversed by 



tug steamers, towing trade-barges of from CO to 100 tons burden. At 

 Killaloe is the chief depot and dockyard of the inland department of 

 the Dublin Steam Navigation Company. 



The Limerick navigation, which includes that part of the river 

 between Killaloe and the city of Limerick, has a fall of 97 feet, which 

 is overcome by a canal at each end and two regulating weirs. A 

 scries of falls below Killaloe-bridge is passed by a canal two miles 

 long, cut close by the river on the Clare side. The rapids at OT.rirn',, 

 bridge and at I'artcen have been deepened, a weir and lock have been 

 constructed at Corbally and World's End, a tracking bridge has been 

 erected over the river at Plassey, aud by the removal of numerous 

 shoals the bed of the river has been rendered available to the utmost 

 for the navigation of trade-barges. The communication* with the 

 Lower Shannon aud the harbour of Limerick is completed by a c,m:i' 

 a mile long. Immediately above Limerick the river divides into tw / 

 branches, forming King's Island, on which the old town stands, \vi'a 

 the cathedral, castle, and other public buildings. Just above I.IM 

 reunion of these two branches is the last fall of the river. 



Under the name of Lower Shannon is comprehended that par. of 

 the river below Limerick which is navigable for sea-going \ 

 This sestuary is easy of access, aud its approach is free from d;n 

 the entrance between the Loop and Kerry Heads is seven mile 

 and on Loop Head stauds a lighthouse, showing a bright fixed light, 

 at the height of 270 feet above high water. About 10 miles to the 

 eastward is a kind of second entrance between Kilk.uiran an.l I'.cil 

 Points, which is contracted to one mile and a half; and off Beal 

 Point a dangerous sandbank extends nearly half a mile, which still 

 further reduces the navigable channel. Ou Kilkadran Point is a light- 

 house, which exhibits a fixed red light 133 feet above the sea, aud 

 inside this point is the small bay of Carrigaholt, which affords good 

 shelter for small vessels. A few miles east from Carrigaholt Bay a 

 landing quay aud pier have been formed by the Shannon Commis- 

 sioners at Querrin Creek. Above this then) is anchorage in every 

 part of the Shannon, though Scattery Island, Tarbert, Labasheda, 

 and Foyncs are the only places which offer good shelter from the 

 prevailing westerly winds. On the Clare shore, opposite Scattery, 

 stands the village of Kilrusb. [KiLnusn.] A little above Foynes, on 

 the opposite coast of Clare, is the new pier of Kilteery, near which 

 are a number of small islands, lying iu the western eutraucs of the 

 river Fergus, and more than half way up the Shannon towards 

 Limerick. Below this the river presents a different appearance from 

 that above the confluence of the Fergus ; the laud ou both sides U 

 high and bold, with a beach either of shingle or gravel beneath, and 

 tho channel is free from dangers ; whilst above this point the land is 

 so flat and low, that, with little exception, the whole shore on each 

 side is one continued Hue of embankment. For eight or nine miles 

 below Limerick the river is so shallow, that at low water every vessel 

 must lie aground ; but the channel has been recently improved by the 

 removal of shoals and rocks, and has been carefully marked out by 

 beacons. 



.At Limerick a very fine range of quays has been constructed, and a 

 weir has been formed across the river below the town, with a lock to 

 admit vessels at high water, so as to constitute a floating dock of the 

 whole river above the weir. 



Several rivers join the Lower Shannon, among which the Fergus 

 deserves some notice, as it is navigable for vessels of 200 to 250 tons 

 at high water as far as Clare, 9 miles from the Shannon, where a 

 landing-wharf has boon built by the Shannon Commissioners. About 

 9 miles below Limerick the Maigue falls into the Shanuon on tho 

 Limerick side; though narrow, it is free from obstructions, except a 

 rocky bar across the eutrance, and is freely navigable for boats of 40 

 or 50 tons deeply laden as far as Adare, about 8 miles from its mouth. 

 There are numerous other streams, many nearly dry at low water, 

 though accessible at high water. 



The spring-tides in the Shannon rise from 17 to 18 feet, the neap- 

 tides about 14 feet; the velocity, which at the mouth does not exceed 

 a mile an hour, increases as the river becomes narrower to upwards of 

 three miles during the ebb at spring-tides ; iu consequence of which 

 the young flood has so much resistance to overcome, that when it does 

 so it rushes up almost like a bore, and the water rises during the first 

 hour's flood as much as seven or eight feet, by which time a great 

 portion of the mud-banks become covered, aud from having a ruoro 

 expanded space to vent itself in, the velocity diminishes. 



The improvements of the Shannon, which were begun by grants 

 from the Irish Parliament and continued by the Directors-General of 

 Inland Navigation, were in 1839 placed under the direction of com- 

 missioners, appointed under the Act 2 & 3 Viet., c. 61. The cost of 

 the works was upwards of half a million of pounds sterling. The 

 control of the navigation was transferred to tho Board of Public 

 Works. The navigation is opened for traffic throughout its whole 

 length, from the upper extremity of Lough Allen to the city of 

 Limerick, a distance of 143 miles, forming with the Boyle aud Strokes- 

 town branches a river aud canal communication of 158 miles, of which 

 129 miles are adapted to the navigation of large steamers. 



SHANNON BRIDGE. [Rum's COUNTY.] 



SHAP. [WESTMORELAND.] 



SHAPUK. P'BBSIA.] 



SHARDLOW, Derbyshire, a village aud tho seat of a Poor-Law 



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